Muslims for Ganesh?

[Guest guest]

Here's some good Hindu-Muslim news for a change (and even a little

good Hindu-Chritian news if you read to the end!):

 

By Giridhar Gopal, Bhubaneswar

 

Nearly two dozen Muslim businessmen and their family members have

been performing Ganesh puja for the last 10 years in Bhubaneswar,

capital of Orissa.

 

A majority of them are fish traders. They organise the puja by

constructing a huge pandal and installing an idol of Lord Ganesh in

keeping with Hindu rituals.

 

"We have formed an organization called the 'Jawan Matshya Byabasai

Sangha Puja committee' and all Muslims are its members," the

secretary of the committee, Seikh Mustafa, said.

 

He said the members organise the puja for 20 days, with local Hindu

families also contributing. "We immerse the idol in the local Kuakhai

river after the conclusion of the puja," he told rediff.com

 

But, Mustafa added, while they perform the puja according to Hindu

rites, they also recite a few lines from the Quran daily, and conduct

Islamic prayers for about two hours while immersing the idol.

 

Like in the past, this year too the Muslims have constructed a huge

pandal in their locality depicting a mosque and begun performing the

puja from Tuesday. "Every night we have planned to organize cultural

programmes," Mustafa said. "We wear roza [the Ramzan fast] dress, but

chant Hindu mantras."

 

Though this endeavour has failed to draw much publicity in

Bhubaneswar, the puja organisers are encouraged by the response from

other places. "We have received more then 9,000 messages from all

over the world supporting our attempt," Mustafa said.

 

In reporting this item, Hindu Press International (HPI) adds: Along

these same lines, HPI learned today that one of our correspondents

met an Episcopal (Anglican) minister at the Ganesha Chaturthi

celebrations at the Ganesha temple in Flushing New York. Asked if he

was there as part of an interfaith program, the minister replied that

no, he was there because he personally loved Lord Ganesha and wanted

to observe His birthday.

 

Source: HPI

Link: http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/sep/12oris1.htm